This blog documents my life in the Mormon church, my escape from it, and my transition into atheism. This is a place for ex-Mormons to share their thoughts and experiences, to discuss current Mormon issues, and for those people in the church who may be doubting their faith or feeling that something is not quite right. Comments are welcome from all points of view.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
2 Nephi 28:13
To anyone who would like to use this graphic on your blog or website, please be my guest! I would appreciate a link back, but it's not completely necessary.
Just got done reading your story, Heather, and I must say that you are very brave to put this up where all your friends and family will see it. The church is a cult. When I first discovered that, I could hardly believe as well that I hadn't seen it before. So your husband was initially the one who did the research and found the truth. I bet he was terrified about what to do before he told you. What a relief that you chose your family over the cult. Do you mind if I re-post it here?
BTW, my straw was the Book of Abraham fiasco. I had read lots of stuff, and was very seriously doubting, but that threw it over the edge. If Joseph Smith lied about how that "scripture" came to be, then what else did he lie about? Everything!
I don't know how much you have read here, but it obviously isn't very much because I have stated many times that the LDS people are good people. They are my family and friends. I don't spend ALL my time obsessing... I spend maybe 30 minutes a day. My beef is not with the average members, but with the leadership who lies and deceives millions of people.
Maybe you feel that you were never "pressured" into anything because you're a girl. I felt constant pressure: mission, tithing, HT, meetings, priesthood, etc. If your experience was so positive, why did you leave?
BTW, what I do here has a very positive effect. I get comments and emails all the time from people who are very grateful for what I do.
So, thank you for your comment, but I'm not going to stop any time soon! If you think I'm mentally unstable, well, that's your opinion.
I love this blog. Obsession is inaccurate. It's actually very healthy to express strong emotions. The LDS church is more than a social gathering where you can build meaningful relationships. It's design is to control your way of life. If you disagree, you're too ignorant to be helped. I think Mormon411 asked a very good question and it deserves an answer. Katie you came here, you decided to get involved, so please enlighten us on why you decided to leave the church? You said they are smart, wonderful people that never pressured you into anything. With all that "good" why did you leave? I'll keep poking around and checking for a response.
This post was very powerfull and I'm glad I got to read it. I got a grizzly chuckle at 1 little misspelling there, the one about Joseph Smith "marring" 14yo girls. Maybe that wasn't a misspelling after all...
The church isn't the right decision for me at this time, I believe in a lot of the things they teach I just don't have the mindset for it right now. I understand where you are coming from after reading your story and I feel terrible that the church leaders treating your children in that way. I just don't understand why instead of voicing your opinion on a normal blog, you would go out of your way to make the whole blog about your departure from the church. I know how hard it is to leave such a tight knit group of people and I too have struggled with it. I feel like writing so much about your bad experiences instead of the positive things happening now in your life might bring more of a negative outlook to your day.
This is a blog devoted to the reasons why I left Mormonism and Christianity. I have found that by abandoning all irrational beliefs, I have discovered a beautiful new world. That world was always there but I was unable to see it. So now I'm just basically trying to show others this beautiful world that can only be seen by taking off the glasses of faith and irrationality. Life without god and religion is WONDERFUL! Even though I'm having difficult circumstances in other aspects of my life right now, I am totally happy. This blog has helped a lot of people. To those who are offended by it, well, don't read it. I'm not trying to offend anyone but it happens and I'm not sorry about it.
Katie I've looked over your blog. The impression I get is your lively, positive, and love fashion. You want to make lots of money(I'm guesssing from designing cloths???), and marry a hot guy so you can make babies. Your statement that you don't have the "mindset" right now is a little confusing. It's almost as if you don't understand the mission of the church. I'll ask another simple question... Do you believe the church is true? I'm not asking if you think it's good, or if the people are nice. Is the church true? Meaning, do you need the church to "return" to God?
I do not believe you need the church to return to God. I believe in God and I believe in the values the church teaches its members, I am just trying to figure out which specifics I believe in. For example, I believe in Gay rights and I think that if you are a loving parent you should be able to adopt as long as you don't push your sexual orientation onto your children. I know it is against the mormon church but I haven't found a different church that feels as right to me. I know you don't need church to believe in God but I had amazing experiences growing up in a church and I would like to raise my family in a church also. I am just figuring out which organization would be best. To answer you Doesitmatter, I do believe in the church. I am just not a person who believes all or nothing. I think that the church is there to inform and it all depends on how you personally put their values to use.
In the comments above, Katie deleted her own comment. I am going to repost it here because it is necessary to understand the rest of the comments that follow. It is the 7th comment down.
Katie said:
"What I don't understand is if you left the mormon church why do you spend all your time obsessing over it and trying to make the church members look like terrible people instead of getting on with your own life? I am a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I will tell anyone I know that the people in the church were good, nice, smart people who never did anything to trick or persuade me into anything. I think you need to stop obsessing and find something positive to blog about because really you just look like a mentally unstable person."
16 comments:
love it!!!!
If I was a first time visitor, I would be sold. Love the new picture!!!
http://heatherandkenny.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-i-left-mormon-church.html
I decided to write my story on my blog. If you would like to, feel free to link it up to a post.
I think I'm going to be sick...
Just got done reading your story, Heather, and I must say that you are very brave to put this up where all your friends and family will see it. The church is a cult. When I first discovered that, I could hardly believe as well that I hadn't seen it before. So your husband was initially the one who did the research and found the truth. I bet he was terrified about what to do before he told you. What a relief that you chose your family over the cult. Do you mind if I re-post it here?
BTW, my straw was the Book of Abraham fiasco. I had read lots of stuff, and was very seriously doubting, but that threw it over the edge. If Joseph Smith lied about how that "scripture" came to be, then what else did he lie about? Everything!
Feel free to repost!
Katie,
I don't know how much you have read here, but it obviously isn't very much because I have stated many times that the LDS people are good people. They are my family and friends. I don't spend ALL my time obsessing... I spend maybe 30 minutes a day. My beef is not with the average members, but with the leadership who lies and deceives millions of people.
Maybe you feel that you were never "pressured" into anything because you're a girl. I felt constant pressure: mission, tithing, HT, meetings, priesthood, etc. If your experience was so positive, why did you leave?
BTW, what I do here has a very positive effect. I get comments and emails all the time from people who are very grateful for what I do.
So, thank you for your comment, but I'm not going to stop any time soon! If you think I'm mentally unstable, well, that's your opinion.
I love this blog. Obsession is inaccurate. It's actually very healthy to express strong emotions. The LDS church is more than a social gathering where you can build meaningful relationships. It's design is to control your way of life. If you disagree, you're too ignorant to be helped.
I think Mormon411 asked a very good question and it deserves an answer. Katie you came here, you decided to get involved, so please enlighten us on why you decided to leave the church? You said they are smart, wonderful people that never pressured you into anything. With all that "good" why did you leave?
I'll keep poking around and checking for a response.
This post was very powerfull and I'm glad I got to read it. I got a grizzly chuckle at 1 little misspelling there, the one about Joseph Smith "marring" 14yo girls. Maybe that wasn't a misspelling after all...
Joe, thanks for pointing out the spelling error. I have corrected it. LOL
The church isn't the right decision for me at this time, I believe in a lot of the things they teach I just don't have the mindset for it right now. I understand where you are coming from after reading your story and I feel terrible that the church leaders treating your children in that way. I just don't understand why instead of voicing your opinion on a normal blog, you would go out of your way to make the whole blog about your departure from the church. I know how hard it is to leave such a tight knit group of people and I too have struggled with it. I feel like writing so much about your bad experiences instead of the positive things happening now in your life might bring more of a negative outlook to your day.
This is a blog devoted to the reasons why I left Mormonism and Christianity. I have found that by abandoning all irrational beliefs, I have discovered a beautiful new world. That world was always there but I was unable to see it. So now I'm just basically trying to show others this beautiful world that can only be seen by taking off the glasses of faith and irrationality. Life without god and religion is WONDERFUL! Even though I'm having difficult circumstances in other aspects of my life right now, I am totally happy. This blog has helped a lot of people. To those who are offended by it, well, don't read it. I'm not trying to offend anyone but it happens and I'm not sorry about it.
Katie I've looked over your blog. The impression I get is your lively, positive, and love fashion. You want to make lots of money(I'm guesssing from designing cloths???), and marry a hot guy so you can make babies.
Your statement that you don't have the "mindset" right now is a little confusing. It's almost as if you don't understand the mission of the church.
I'll ask another simple question... Do you believe the church is true? I'm not asking if you think it's good, or if the people are nice. Is the church true? Meaning, do you need the church to "return" to God?
I do not believe you need the church to return to God. I believe in God and I believe in the values the church teaches its members, I am just trying to figure out which specifics I believe in. For example, I believe in Gay rights and I think that if you are a loving parent you should be able to adopt as long as you don't push your sexual orientation onto your children. I know it is against the mormon church but I haven't found a different church that feels as right to me. I know you don't need church to believe in God but I had amazing experiences growing up in a church and I would like to raise my family in a church also. I am just figuring out which organization would be best. To answer you Doesitmatter, I do believe in the church. I am just not a person who believes all or nothing. I think that the church is there to inform and it all depends on how you personally put their values to use.
In the comments above, Katie deleted her own comment. I am going to repost it here because it is necessary to understand the rest of the comments that follow. It is the 7th comment down.
Katie said:
"What I don't understand is if you left the mormon church why do you spend all your time obsessing over it and trying to make the church members look like terrible people instead of getting on with your own life? I am a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I will tell anyone I know that the people in the church were good, nice, smart people who never did anything to trick or persuade me into anything. I think you need to stop obsessing and find something positive to blog about because really you just look like a mentally unstable person."
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